And {Bitter} The Rage [CHALLENGE!]

[Pocket Kitsune]

Though she'd had the gift of months to adjust to the presence of the crimson-pelted femmice who seemed to have risen from the very depths of nightmares and bitter cracks of a private hell, the smarting offense that the brusque mannerisms that Roka had offered her pride from the start had yet to abate. Perhaps it was foolish, to let such blind and reckless sentiments of pride and resentment to gnaw restlessly at the edges of her heart. The same heart that had begun to swell with the first whispers of stirring emotions for the brute named Ayden. The same male that Roka had tried, in her smirking, insidious ways, to mark unfairly as her own.

She had seen neither hide nor gleaming hair of either in recent months. In one sense, that was nothing short of a relief, a burden lifted from her back that Roka's snide and smug hissing whispers no longer danced in her ears to mirror the banshee wailing of the winds. But that Ayden, too, had vanished from beyond even her reach was troubling. She did her best not to dwell on it for very long periods--after all, he had once done precisely this, and she had foolishly assumed him lost to her and the elements. But he had returned like some vision, some miraculous specter.

Was it foolish to think that he would not do the same again? Most likely he had simply ventured far from earshot of Roka...and herself. For though it burdened her heart and made it heavy, she was not so naive to think she herself didn't play some part in his disappearance. For she knew all too well how grating the chatter of bitches was on the nerves of a male. But their scents had grown stale and rank on the borders, and with new winds and snowdrift, soon they were too faint to smell in the least.

And so, a cunning smile curved her lips. The surest way to know if Roka yet lurked in these lands, or she had bluffed and blustered her ominous claim to never vacate these lands and grown bored and resigned--if not both, was to challenge. To take up the mantle of joint ruler of Kalte.

And so, for the second time since she had named this place home, she tipped back her head and sang out, her muzzle rounding with sorrow and rage and cunning all at once as she let the winds take her intent on their wings. If Roka did not call to her in response by sundown of the third day, she would win back Kalte. And perhaps seal Ayden's heart alongside her own. Either way, the challenge was clear. All there was to do now, was wait.

[roka]

OOC Sorry I am so late I have been detained by school work and finals studying!

Roka heard Aisling howl and turned toward the territory. She looked toward her camp thinking of the first entrance to the camp. She was clearly unwanted as she could see that, so she gave king prickles and her royal pain in the ass some space. But the howl was that of dominance that had made her spine prickle. She was not in the mood for a fight but the urge to defend herself prickled as well. Her returning howl was loud and distinctive. She would fight for what she thought was hers. She knew that she was the dominant of the two but Aisling held strings and keys to Aydens heart that she didn't know. She didn't even dream of the return of the favor of a smile or a kind word. All she expected was a sneer or a snide comment from the both of them. If she was to assert her dominance she would have liked for Ayden to be on her side. She knew where her blood-line stood, but that was not a help to this pair of prickled defenders. "Not today, Cupcake...", she whispered to herself pushing forward, her ears pinned forward listening for any sign of the femm.

[Pocket Kitsune]

[It's fine. This place is mostly dead, anyway.]

The last sonorous notes of her cry echoed from still and snowy dales, skipping down sheer ravines of snow and rock and amplifying as if a chorus of demon's born from the very chill of malice that laced such a call now howled from world's end for blood dwelled below. It echoed and then dwindled, swallowed by the greedy shrill of winter's own howling upset.

But there was no response to lash back in railing protest against her song, and for a moment, a grim smile of satisfaction touched her muzzle with the slender flash of triumph. So be it, then. She would rebuild these barren wastelands into a name that would uphold echoes of pride long into the winters of futures unknown. No longer would Kalte be underlooked, beneath her command.

And then, as if the sharp teeth of winter sought to dash her hopes from the very air in which they hung, the answering call clashed with hers, as sharply and distinct as the hollow sound of rams butting heads some spring rang throughout Kalte.

Her hackles rose, and her eyes flashed. So then. The bitch yet lived, and she meant to assert her unwelcome. So be it. Aisling began to march forward blindly through the snows, her voice ringing out then.

"Show yourself, Roka. If you want these lands, you will have them only when my body is as cold as this snow I stand upon."

[roka]

OOC: If Aisling wants to be alphaess so badly Roka could lose the fight and move to some other pack? If you want.

Roka bared her teeth and pushed further through the snow. Her paws trudged harder and harder on as she ripped through the barren snowy lands. Her posture was that of a bear protecting her cubs, she would protect her lands. Roka heard Aislings comment and her ears pinned the back of her head. "That could be arranged.", she smiled. The thought of a death match was all to appealing in her mind. She wanted nothing more than or teeth to dig into flesh, to feel the blood ooze from this femm's skin especially. Her mouth began to water s her opponent drew closer to her. She drew herself back into a defensive position not ready to rip her apart yet. She kept herself on her toes as she expected to be leaped on and snapped at any moment. A feral snarl rose from her throat egging the femm on as she prepared for the bloody battle that would emerge. She took in a breath awaiting Aisling's first move, whenit occured to her the aint scent that proved the absence of the alpha male Ayden. "Where is king Prickled-pance?", she sneered curious but not about to be kind to the bitch who planned to over throw her.

[Pocket Kitsune]

[No, I plan for it to be a fair fight. We'll work out the terms of win/losses IC.]


Aisling's hackles rose to their full glory as soon as the reddish pelt hove into her line of sight. Though it had been days upon the mirages of days since she had last seen the smirking visage of the other femmice, she had hardly forgotten her features. No--to be sure, they were seared like wildfire's afterglow into the retina of her memory. A part of her prickled in doubt, whispering into the clarity of her better judgment's ears that this was foolish--a spar over nothing, and a dangerous time to be doing so. Winter would be upon them soon--and already what little game could be found in these unforgiving lands had dwindled into a shadow of a handful.

As a result, much of her muscle tone and formidable bulk had dwindled, run lean. Though not yet weak, the strength of the other femm, coupled with severe injuries, could very well be the kiss of death upon her proud muzzle. But she shoved those words aside, her eyes narrowing at the female's taunting words of self-assurance. "Don't be so sure about that," she muttered beneath her breath.

But it was the female's second question that caused her muscles to freeze, driven to stillness with a sudden chilling paralysis. Once upon a time, such a sneering query would have been enough alone to send her into the arms of blind and consuming fury, convinced by such a lazy drawl of words that the femmice had done something to the former king of these lands. But now she could only look away, her eyes flashing and then dimming.

"I do not know. But that doesn't matter now. This is none of his concern." Her teeth flashed once then, a snarl rising like a tempest from her throat.

"Meet me at Lehrsatz," she rumbled. "We will settle the matter there once and for all."